United States of America: 232 Years in the Freedom Business

(updated July 4, 2008)

I'm relieved that American courts are finally sorting out the mess created when the federal government broke all those treaties with Indian nations in the nineteenth century.

On the other hand, I cannot approve of the way that America acquired Hawaii.

And there is, in my opinion, no excuse for how the Confederate States of America were treated by the Reconstruction's carpetbaggers, following the War Between the States.

America Isn't Perfect

The country that was launched 232 years ago today, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence, is on it's second constitution. The first one, the Articles of Confederation, didn't work. The second constitution is doing a bit better. It's now the oldest written constitution that's still being used.

Even so, the Constitution isn't perfect. Over the centuries, the Constitution has been amended twenty seven times. One amendment, the eighteenth, was repealed by another, the twenty first. The latest one, ratified in 1992, limits congressional pay raises.

I'm pretty sure that, given time, there will be more amendments.

As I said, the Constitution isn't perfect.

Neither is the country whose government the Constitution defines.

Even so, I am proud to be an American.

I know: that sounds corny. Or worse.

A fellow in an online community had the poor judgment to say "be proud, America!" when the Phoenix lander successfully touched down on Mars. He was roundly chastised for singling out the American contribution to this international effort. One of the opening salvos was "Hmmm, 'be proud America', perhaps you should do some more reading and you'll discover this mission is actually a joint venture that includes Canada, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany and Finland."

From a 'sophisticated' point of view, there must be something wrong with me. I'm proud to be an American. I don't avoid mentioning American accomplishments. I don't wring my hands over how awful this country is. I don't complain about how terrible it is that people come here to enjoy its freedom and opportunity.

Which gets me back to the title of this post.

For almost two and a third centuries, America has been in the freedom business.

Yes. I know. America isn't perfect. Our freedom isn't perfect. Never has been. I know that slavery was one aspect of the War Between the States. It's quite true that indentured servants were not always well treated. For that matter, neither were my Irish ancestors.

But America is still a free country. An American citizen can, with remarkably few limits, harangue against officials: elected or otherwise. He or she can publish papers bitterly railing against the American military.

Or, as American citizens, we can make better use of our time (in my opinion), and look for a better job, move to another town or city, or set up our own business. If we're smart, a little 'lucky,' and persistent, the odds are that eventually we'll hit a winning combination.

Success isn't guaranteed, of course, but it's possible. And, allowed.

Freedom has even become an American export. Around the world, since 1776, kings and emperors have, to a great extent, been replaced by presidents. Again, none of these newer democracies are perfect. Some are very far from perfect.

The point is, there is an effort, in many parts of the world, to let the people of a country have a greater say in what that country's government does - and in what they're allowed to do.

Although there were philosophical movements at work in the eighteenth century that helped start this trend, I like to think that the United States of America helped.

For one thing, this country has been proof that a free country can exist, and thrive.

(USAF Photo by TSgt Andy Dunaway, from "On Point II," page 421, used w/o permission)
"Figure 105. Iraqi men proudly show their inked-stained fingers after voting in Hayji, Iraq."

Sometimes, America has been more than simply a good example. For good or ill, The United States of America has, from time to time, gotten very directly involved in the affairs of other countries.

Generally, such American actions have had a devastating effect on dictators and tyrants. Whether or not America has any business freeing people in other countries from the likes of Adolph Hitler, the Taliban, and Saddam Hussein is still hotly debated.

My opinion is that, for all its faults, American is still a land of opportunity: and that freedom is something that the citizenry of all nations should have.

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More, at

• "Man reveals all about Independence Day"
  CNN (July 3, 2008)
• Fourth of July Celebrations Database

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Update (July 4, 2008)
Freedom of Speech in America: a case in point.
"Protesters Interrupt Bush at Independence Day Ceremony for New Citizens"
FOXNews (July 4, 2008)

"Protesters made it hard to hear President Bush Friday as he welcomed new citizens and marked Independence Day at the home of Thomas Jefferson.

"As is the tradition each Fourth of July, a naturalization ceremony was held at Monticello in Charlottesville, Va. This year, 76 immigrants from 30 different countries came to take the oath of citizenship....

" 'That man is a fascist!' one protester yelled. Another swore at him.

"The protesters later were removed from the ceremony by law enforcement officials.¹

" 'To my fellow citizens to be — we believe in free speech in the United States of America,' Bush said when the protesters started shouting.

"To the din of more yelling, Bush discussed Jefferson’s legacy as he introduced the citizens.

" 'We honor Jefferson’s legacy by aiding the rise of liberty in lands that do not know the blessings of freedom, and on this Fourth of July we pay tribute to the brave men and women who wear the uniform of the United States of America,' he said...."

Another news service did a more thorough job of detailing the protester's grievances:

"Bush was heckled several times, with some people yelling 'War criminal!' One man shouted, 'This man has brought fascism to our shores!' About nine people were removed from the ceremony.

" 'Impeach Bush. Impeach Bush. Amend the Constitution,' shouted another protester, prompting both cheers and boos from the audience of about 3,000 people...."
("Bush helps swear in citizens as hecklers shout" CNN (July 4, 2008))
[emphases mine]

I've wondered how many people who yell 'fascist!' at American leaders they don't like know about real fascist leaders.² Think about it: what would probably have happened to someone who shouted "That man is a Jew!" or "This man has brought Judaism to our shores!" at Chancellor Hitler, at a public gathering?

¹That phrase, "removed...by law enforcement officials", doesn't carry the implication of dire consequences that it does in some countries. Those protesters may face legal sanctions for disturbing the peace, and - if they wanted a little more martyrdom, and fussed as they were removed - resisting arrest.

² The page I linked to, in Best of History Websites, lists a number of pretty good online resources about Hitler, Mussolini, and the mid-twentieth century fascists. It used to have a video showing Adolph Hitler making a speech. The video is gone, replaced with the words, "We're sorry, this video is no longer available."

I understand that someone who had endured the Nazi regime in Germany might not like to watch the Fuhrer, and listen to his words. But I am truly sorry to see that what I trust is a well-meaning censorship has removed evidence that might help people learn what went so horribly wrong.

I was born after the survivors of Dachau and other camps were liberated. But, I've seen and heard speeches of Chancellor Hitler. Remembering the experience is not pleasant, but it taught me to be very cautious about emotion-laden appeals.

Particularly from people who seem to support causes that I like.

Freedom, Foolishness, and the Fourth

On Independence Day (U.S. - July 4), in another blog, I posted the last sentence of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, and the names of the people who signed it.

The flame that followed didn't last much more than 24 hours, but it was impressive.

Not much later, in a blog started by someone else, on Freedom, one of the advocates of absolute freedom proposed the following argument. (Aside from bleeping some of the more adult, sophisticated, and mature statements, it is unabridged, copied directly from the original blog comment.)

"The state does not have the right to regulate 'shouting "Fire!" in a theater'.

"This is the oldest and most widely used sophistry of those who would abridge freedom speech as dfined in the First Amendment.

"Would you like to hear the full argument?

"Sorry, I no longer have the time or the interest in playing that game.

"The authoritarians who would abridge the full and clear meaning of the Bill of Rights are invited to play with themselves.

"It will all come out in the wash.

"S**** you and your 'God' too.

"Oh yeah, and lest I forget, and shut the f*** up and turn in your guns."
(source not available)

I'm sharing this as an example of the sort of freedom of expression that we enjoy in this country. In addition to the fellow who writes in slogans and epithets, there were a variety of well-thought-out arguments, some of which were not in agreement with current federal policy.

That sort of discussion isn't possible everywhere in the world, at least not with any degree of safety. There's a joke from the Cold War that can be dusted off and re-written to illustrate the point:

An American and an Iranian were discussing freedom of speech in their countries. The American said, "we are free to speak our mind here. I could stand in the middle of the Mall of America, and shout 'I think the American president is an idiot!' The Iranian replied, "we are just as free to speak our minds. I, too, could stand in the middle of the Tehran flower market and shout 'I think the American president is an idiot!'"

The War on Terror might also be called the War for Freedom. People like Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahri and Sheikh Hamed al-Ali; and groups like Al Qaeda, Fatah al-Islam and Hezbollah, all have one thing in common.

They, like Iranian president Ahmadinejad, believe that Islam should rule the world. Their brand of Islam, of course. Judging from what the Taliban did to Afghanistan, I would rather not see that happen.

Ahmadinejad makes his beliefs very clear, saying, "every problem we [Iranians] have will be solved by global Islamic rule" and "we must prepare ourselves to rule the world." These claims are both chilling, and remarkably difficult to find in traditional news sources.

I'd better make it clear that I hope, sincerely, that the 'rule the world' branch of Islam has the same relationship to Islam as a whole that the KKK did to Christianity, back in the sixties. Our problem is that today's Jihadists have power that the KKK could only have dreamed of.

Back to freedom.

Independence Day is a day for people in the States to get outside, grill at least one meal, set off or watch fireworks, and enjoy a day or two off. It's also a day to celebrate the signing the Declaration of Independence, when representatives from thirteen colonies laid out exactly why they would no longer be tied to England.

In this country, we celebrate Constitution Day on September 17. That holiday doesn't draw anywhere near as much attention, although it is the Constitution and its amendments, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, that determine how, and to what extent, we enjoy our freedom.

Back to the War on Terror.

It is important to remember that the War on Terror is an effort to keep crazed religious fanatics from committing mass murder. It's also an effort to keep them from setting up a theocracy that would make liberals' fears of the Bush administration seem like a welcome relief.

The other side of this coin is that the struggle against the Islamic jihad is a struggle for freedom. People in this country have gotten used to being able to speak their minds, to play soccer if they feel like it, and wear a wide variety of clothing.

It would be a shame if we lost that.

By the way: although about nine weeks, by my reckoning, separate Independence Day and Constitution Day (aka Citizenship Day), it took over 11 years (1776-1787) for the government of the United States to have its basic structure hammered out. And we're still arguing about how it should work.

Now, about half-way through the weekend after Independence Day, I think it would be appropriate to remember how the Declaration of Independence ends, and the people who took enormous risks so that those who followed them could disagree with the powers that be, and live to complain about how they were treated:

"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

[signed]

Georgia: Button Gwinnett; Lyman Hall; George Walton

North Carolina: William Hooper; Joseph Hewes; John Penn

South Carolina: Edward Rutledge; Thomas Heyward, Jr.; Thomas Lynch, Jr.; Arthur Middleton

Massachusetts: John Hancock

Maryland: Samuel Chase; William Paca; Thomas Stone; Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia: George Wythe; Richard Henry Lee; Thomas Jefferson; Benjamin Harrison; Thomas Nelson, Jr.; Francis Lightfoot Lee; Carter Braxton

Pennsylvania: Robert Morris; Benjamin Rush; Benjamin Franklin; John Morton; George Clymer; James Smith; George Taylor; James Wilson; George Ross

Delaware: Caesar Rodney; George Read; Thomas McKean

New York: William Floyd; Philip Livingston; Francis Lewis; Lewis Morris

New Jersey: Richard Stockton; John Witherspoon; Francis Hopkinson; John Hart; Abraham Clark

Transcripts of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, the Consttitution of the United States of America, Amendments 1 through 10 (the Bill of Rights), and
Amendments 11-27 are available online.

On a more contemporary note, Jonathan D. Halevi's Al-Qaida's Intellectual Legacy: New Radical Islamic Thinking Justifying the Genocide of Infidels is interesting, if dry, reading. He's biased, though, since he's an infidel.